


Hatchlings

by Lonespark_the_friendly_kraken



Series: Trio [1]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Fanart, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-09 02:18:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20845916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lonespark_the_friendly_kraken/pseuds/Lonespark_the_friendly_kraken
Summary: a different kind of priceless treasureart by Andromeda Messier





	Hatchlings

Viren performs the requisite research, but uncertainty always remains. The texts all agree that the "eggs" would "hatch" to reveal something the seeker deeply desired, a strong but often secret yearning of the soul. Witnesses confirm this, but caution that the gifts are always unexpected.

They aren't truly eggs. The orbs were discovered in a deep, hidden vault in a sealed-off pre-Rift mine. The endless trudging along dark drifts put most potential seekers off, but Viren isn't most people.

He finally reaches the hall of "eggs," as tall as his waist, shimmering with a strange blueish iridescence in the reflected light from his palms. He approaches one quickly and traces the hatching rune on the shell-like outer layer. Cracks form in the orb and quickly propagate, but after that nothing more happens.

Viren groans in frustration. Is this one defective? Did his sources skip over the opening process? He jabs at the orb with the end of his staff and manages to pry up the end of one piece. He pulls it away and a few others also fall off, but he has to repeat the process three more times to get most of the top off so he can look inside.

Within the orb, something is sleeping. Viren yanks more pieces of shell rubble loose as the creature stirs slowly to life. He aims the light from his hand indirectly across the top of the shell remnants and beholds... a baby?

Viren wracks his brain trying to recall any stories of real human children being recovered from the orbs. He thinks there was one, so old its veracity is highly questioned.

She’s a little girl with sharp eyes of brightest green. She is beautiful, and terrifying, and delightful, but she isn't anything he thinks he’s wished for.

He’s come this far, so it couldn't hurt to try again, could it? The second orb breaks open more easily. It also fails to reveal any tomes of ancient secrets, any primal stones or unknown weapons, any secrets for winning the heart of...

"Daddy!" A creature launches itself out the jagged crystal hemisphere, flailing at him with small pudgy arms. Viren catches the airborne toddler but loses his balance and sits down awkwardly. The baby in the first orb is cooing happily and reaching for them, so he lifts her out, setting both children in his lap. They snuggle each other happily while he leans against the orb remnants and tries to summon any coherent thoughts.


End file.
